Sweet Justice (1992)

Sweet Justice (1992)- * * *

Directed by: Alain Paris and Allen Plone

Starring: Marc Singer, Finn Carter, Cheryl Paris, Frank Gorshin, Marjean Holden, Michelle McCormick, Catherine Hickland, Patricia Tallman, Kathleen Kinmont, and Mickey Rooney







Sunny Justice (Carter) is a spunky female kickboxer not afraid to take on a man in the ring. This quality is going to come in handy, because she stumbles onto a small-town conspiracy that could go, eventually, all the way to the top. Upon the death of her sister Suzanne (Paris), the mayor of a dusty ol’ town named Los Olivos, Sunny returns home, and after speaking to the Sheriff and Suzanne’s boyfriend, Steve Colton (Singer), and local yokel Zeke (Rooney), she discovers the culprit: an evil land developer (yes, another one!) named Rivas (Gorshin) who is also dumping toxic waste into the old mine (presumably where Timmy from Lassie got stuck every week). Deciding  to cut through the bureaucratic red tape, Sunny reconvenes her old commando unit, an all-female fighting force sanctioned by the U.S. Army. Here is the team, along with some of their relevant credits:

-  Kim (McCormick) - from Hawkeye (1988) and Showdown (1993)
- Chris Barnes (Catherine Hickland) - from Robowar (1988)
-  M.J. (Marjean Holden) - from Ballistic (1995) and Automatic (1995)
- Josie (Patricia Tallman) - known for her work in horror movies, and had a small part in Road House (1989)
- Heather (Kathleen Kinmont) - we all know her, but for those who may not, she is the former Mrs. Lorenzo Lamas and was in a bunch of his movies, such as CIA Code Name: Alexa (1992), Final Impact (1992), and Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster (1989), among others, but she also starred in plenty of stuff on her own such as The Art of Dying (1991) and Gangland (2001), to name just a few. And in further non-Lamas Lamas news, this movie reunites Kinmont, McCormick, and Branscombe Richmond (in a tiny part) - all seen in the show Renegade.
- and, of course, Sunny Justice (Finn Carter), who, coincidentally, was on an unrelated TV show called Sweet Justice a few years later. And her sister, the hot mayor (Cheryl Paris), was in the unfortunate Liberty and Bash (1989).

Will this power-packed team of fighting women get to the bottom of the conspiracy and get their man? Find out today!

Sweet Justice is essentially a cross between Hell Squad (1986), China O’Brien (1990), and Frame Up (1991). To paraphrase our friend Cool Target, the first 30 minutes are kind of slow, but after that, things pick up and become very enjoyable. In Frame Up, the Evil Land Developer (perhaps we should start now capitalizing it and calling them ELD’s for short, we see them so much) was Dick Sargent, and here it’s Frank Gorshin. Maybe aging TV actors are drawn to the role because it’s so perfunctory? It must be like a working retirement for them. Gorshin puts in a wacky performance, even Riddler-esque you might say? Mickey “Maximum Force” Rooney (he’s synonymous with Maximum Force, isn’t he?) puts in a top-notch sit-down role, but to be fair, it’s tough to tell whether he’s standing or not because of his height. When one of Rivas’s goons punches Zeke in the face, that’s when all bets are off and the girls get their SWEET JUSTICE.

It’s your classic “assemble a team” movie, and we always enjoy those. You really have to admire anyone who’s willing to drop their job to go on an illegal killing spree with their buddies just because one of them enlists you to. There’s even a classic training montage and shreddin’ guitars play on the soundtrack during fights. You’ve gotta love it. The women and their diverse personalities and fighting styles keep it from becoming boring. We thought another title for the movie (or another like it in the future) could be “EMPOWERMENT”.  You get the idea.

The team leader, Sunny Justice, is a pre-The Fight (2001) woman who takes on men in the ring. She was truly ahead of her time. And in Street Corner Justice (1996), Marc Singer played the immortal Mike Justus. Sunny Justice and Mike Justus together again at last. We celebrated. Singer has never looked more like Kevin Bacon than he does here. Maybe it’s the hair. While Finn Carter takes on the Cynthia Rothrock role from the aforementioned China O’Brien (there’s even a fight in a gym just like in that movie), we thought that if Sweet Justice were made today, the part of Sunny Justice could be portrayed by Gina Carano.

Featuring the prerequisite sax on the soundtrack, as well as end credits ballad “The Glory of it All” by Sherry Cameron, Sweet Justice is rollicking entertainment, perfect for video stores of the 90’s. Released by Triboro on VHS at that time, Sweet Justice is sweet viewing.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty 

Maximum Force (1992)

Maximum Force (1992)-* * *

Directed By: Joseph Merhi

Starring: Asbjorn "Bear" Riis, Sam J. Jones, John Saxon, Richard Lynch, and Mickey Rooney




"Trouble and me are old friends..."








Maximum Force is an enjoyable 90s direct to video blow 'em up from PM entertainment.

Max Tanabe (as portrayed by the non-Japanese Lynch) is an unscrupulous crime lord who operates out of a high rise office building in downtown L.A. He claims it is like a fortress and he never leaves the boardroom. This is unfortunate for his multiracial gang of baddies who have to suffer through all night meetings.

Captain Fuller (Saxon) has been trying to catch Tanabe for years but he is too evil to get caught. Fuller is close to retirement and wants to end his career with a bang by nabbing Tanabe. Towards this end he assembles a crack team of three cops who each dispense their own brand of justice.

Crews (Sam J. Jones) is the unshaven, unwashed, cigarette smoking, leather jacket wearing badass who spends his days trying to break up an underground (is there any other kind...) kick\punch\shootfighting ring.

Randal (Sherrie Rose) is a tough-talkin' dame who goes undercover as a prostitute and has no problem kicking, shooting and punching with the best of them.

Carver (Jason Lively) is the techie nerd and is a sassy jokester that provides the comic relief, such as it is.

Separately they all have their own cases....but once they are assembled by Fuller, they become a Maximum Force to be reckoned with!

They are holed up in an underlit studio apartment/hideout where they work on becoming "One mind body and soul". They are many scenes developing their camaraderie, including many training sequences. The standout being the one with Crews smoking a cigarette while jumping rope. Naturally, there is a romantic triangle between the cops. Crews wins out because the other guy's pickup line involves shooting him in the chest while he tries out an experimental bulletproof vest. Also he is a nerd. The final phase of their training involves a surprise ninja attack. They pass with flying colors. Tanabe better watch his back...

Mickey Rooney is in this crud as the corrupt chief of police who is on the take from Tanabe. He wants Fuller to stop pursuing him. Rooney never leaves his limo.

The final confrontation between Tanabe's minions and the Maxiumum Forcers involves many of the minions (who you know are bad because they all have rat tails and mullets.) being blown to kingdom come on Carver's explosive remote control cars. In the last minutes of the movie they introduce a great new character: BEAR (Asbjorn "Bear" Riis)! A hulking superdude who picks people up and throws them. Crews randomly states "this is my friend....BEAR!" and he briefly becomes part of the team. Somehow BEAR ends up in a science lab. Because brawn not brains are BEAR's specialty he looks confused and says "HUH?" in true Charles Barkley fashion. Sadly, mere seconds after meeting him, he passes away. This was a sad moment for us all.

A moment of silence please...


This is an entertaining actioner but it needed more BEAR!



Comeuppance Review by: Ty & Brett